Ashish Goyal, election awareness observer deputed by the Election Commission of India to review the SVEEP (Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation) activities in the district, has suggested that the officials make voting an enjoyable exercise.
Addressing the election authorities and heads of various departments, engaged in SVEEP activities at the Collectorate here on Tuesday, Mr. Goyal, who was on a three day visit, suggested that casting of votes in the May 16 Assembly elections need not be a dull exercise.
“The officials should create necessary facilities at polling stations and make voting an enjoyable exercise,” he said addressing the meeting, chaired by District Election Officer and Collector S. Natarajan and Superintendent of Police N. Manivannan.
Though the SVEEP activities were launched in the district for the first time to achieve 100 per cent polling, the Collector and other officials have done a commendable job, he said and congratulated them. Pointing out that the district had registered about 70 per cent polling in the last elections, he said more efforts should be taken to increase the polling percentage.
“We should achieve at least 80 to 85 per cent polling percentage,” he said.
Later, Mr. Goyal, accompanied by Mr. Natarajan participated in a series of election awareness programmes and administered pledge to the voters to discharge their democratic duty by exercising their franchise on May 16.
After taking part in a human chain, organised by the members of women Self Help Groups at Bharathi Nagar, coming under Thiruvadanai Assembly constituency, the observer explained to the people, the importance of casting votes.
Later, he inspected the Voter Facilitation Centre at the Collectorate, a polling station at Vallalpari Middle School at Kanjirangudi and flagged off a mini-marathon, organised to create election awareness.
He also addressed booth-level awareness group members and advised them to work towards achieving 100 per cent voter turnout. District Revenue Officer (DRO) M. Ali Akbar, Rural Development Project Director A. Palani and Ramanathapuram Election Officer Rampradeepan were present in the programmes.
